LESSON 1

Task 1 – What genre?

Pick a Genre – probably best to choose a genre of music you understand, like and can be excited about. That said, some genres of music have very specific conventions and might be able to provide you with much more scope for design decisions and copy style. If you are undecided perhaps choose a very obvious genre i.e. punk, heavy metal?

Research various genres – you will be amazed how many sub-genres and sub-cultures there are. These are just a few.

Task 2 – Choose the name of the magazine. 

Use a generator app or a thesaurus for a simple, catchy and relevant name of the magazine. It has to be catchy and relate to your genre and brand – make it relevant to your target audience.

• Bonus, Fault, Exchange, Storm, Louder, Open Mic, Score, Epoch, Placebo, Audio, Stream, Hustle, Phonic, Whisper, N&U (new and unsigned), Orbit, Swipe, Double Tap, Like, Status, Plectrum.

Task 3 – Brand Wordcloud/Mission Statement – Blog Post

Create a wordcloud that includes all the words that relate to what might be your mission statement  for your magazine.  For example will you magazine feature: new talent, unsigned artists, fashion, concerts, festivals, be edgy, anarchic, energetic?  Address all 4 of the Uses and Gratification that Blumler and Katz talk about to ensure maximising your sales to ensure that your contents will appeal to their use of the text.  Include the name of the magazine in a different colour.

• Use wordclouds.com  or wordle.net or worditout.com

This is an example wordle for a HipHop/Rap magazine called STREETZ.

Blog post:

• Introduce your magazine and its name.
• Outline the genre – brief description of the type of music and performers associated with the genre.
• Embed the wordle and introduce it.
• Create a couple of lines for its mission statement which will also be part of the wordle on the magazine’s brand.

This is a link to some previous  mission statements – not perfect but a start.

LESSON 2

Task 4 – Dating Profile

Now that you have an idea of what your MAGAZINE is all about, you need to know more about the audience. Using yougov.uk and your imagination, create a dating profile of a typical target audience reader. Keep them in mind all the time when you are designing to ensure you are hitting the target, satisfying their needs and giving them predictable pleasure.

Favourite music, favourite TV, who do they follow on insta?, favourite quotes, job, age, favourite food, best type of Sunday, favourite holiday destination, ambition?

You may have to think laterally to find a similar audience member to search for their profile in yougov.co.uk.

You will have to use your imagination too or model it on someone you know who fits the demographics and psychographics of your typical target audience.  It could be YOU!

Design it on indesign of a google slide.